WASHINGTON  As part of President Obama's Latin America trip, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, El Salvador first lady Dr. Vanda Pignato and El Salvador Minister of Labor Victoria Marina Velasquez de Aviles launched a project to help the country combat exploitive child labor by targeting its root causes. Secretary Solis announced that the U.S. Department of Labor will contribute $10 million over the next four years to support this ambitious initiative.

"We are confident that this project, which we are coordinating with our partners in El Salvador, will have a positive impact on vulnerable children and their families for years to come," said Secretary Solis.

The project, developed through close collaboration with the government of El Salvador, will be implemented by the International Labor Organization. The ILO will work at national and local levels across the country in "Comunidades Solidarias," communities that the Salvadoran government has identified as among the most disadvantaged.

The project will help raise incomes so that families do not need to depend on child labor. It will focus on the entire family, including both parents and children. It will help provide vocational training, along with child care for preschoolers, quality education for school aged children and job training for youth. Beneficiaries will gain new skills, basic tools, job placement services and technical help to start small businesses. In each municipality, the program will assess the labor market to match skills with opportunities for employment.